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London’s Oldest Riverside Pub

By Linda Tancs

The Prospect of Whitby, London’s oldest riverside pub in Wapping, was once known as the Devil’s Tavern, a nod to its once-upon-a-time popularity with thieves, smugglers and pirates.  More polished clientele included Charles Dickens, Samuel Pepys and artists Whistler and Turner.  Originating in 1520, this traditional British pub boasts an original flagstone floor, a rare pewter-topped bar and old barrels and ship masts.  And what good would a storied pub be without a haunting or two?  Reputedly a favored watering hole of “hanging judge” Jeffreys, his spirit allegedly still presides over the hangings and drownings at high tide visible from his bar stool.

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